Lamenting Together

Learning to lament together is key to praying for justice. on Monday, June 5, as we all continued to process the news of the discovery of 215 Indigenous children, 50 women gathered online to pray for 30 minutes, guided through the service by cBWoQ volunteer leaders. Please feel free to use the outline below and the Guided Prayer script on page four as you pray and work for justice.

CBWOQ Statement

WE ARE DEEPLY SADDENED to hear of the discovery of the bodies of 215 Indigenous children.

Let us consider the tragedy of each one of the children and their families, plus a whole new generation re-traumatized by the discovery of their bodies. Let us also lament that this was done in the name of Christ.

How was this allowed to happen? Racism.

Racism blinds people. Then systemic racism blocks others from making changes.

This issue is not peripheral to faith. It is at the core of mission. Think of all the people whose hearts are hardened to the gospel as they hear this news. Even if this wasn’t the case, justice is the nature and desire of God. This is how he summarizes his will, “. . . what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) rev. Diane McBeth, executive director, cBWoQ  1. Welcome and gathering (1 minute)

One or two sentences at the start of this prayer time will surface the fact that women have come apart from their evening routines to spend some time in prayer with others. 2. Land Acknowledgment (1 minute)

Especially with this prayer time, it will be important to name the hosts of the lands from which we join the online event. Women can type their acknowledgement in the chat. 3. Introduction to the time of prayer (2 minutes) feel free to use CBWOQ’s statement if you are gathering women from your church or region to pray. 4. Lament/Grieving (8 minutes)

We want to give women space and time . . . to grieve, to bring their questions and their tears to God. A good format to use in this section is Guided Prayer. You may find Psalm 13 an appropriate psalm to pray and you’ll find the script we used on page four. feel free to use it. 5. Confession/Repentance/Receiving God’s Forgiveness (8 minutes)

We need to confess and to repent this national sin and then hear and receive God’s forgiveness. 1 John 4:20 may resonate with you. for this section, invite women to pray out loud, write their prayer in the Zoom chat or pray in silence. 6. Silence (2 minutes + 15 seconds)

With this period of silence we pay our respects. 7. Pray for justice (7 minutes)

Invite women to pray to the Lord for justice. They can pray out loud, write their prayers in the Zoom chat, or pray in silence.

Use verses that affirm God’s justness and heart for justice. 8. Closing prayer (1 minute)

One of the leaders ends this prayer time with a simple affirmation that

God has heard the group’s prayers. 

Psalm 13 Guided Prayer

This is the actual Guided Prayer script that women prayed as part of the prayer time on June 7. ( indicates a 10- 12-second time of silence as women follow the spoken prompt and pray silently.)

Psalm 13

We are going to pray Psalm 13—a psalm of lament. It is important to lament and grieve because we can so easily go around pretending that everything is OK when in fact things are not OK.

I will read the psalm in its entirety and then we will pray through it together.

come holy spirit come. how long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? how long will you hide your face from me? 2how long am I to feel anxious in my soul, With grief in my heart all the day? how long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3consider and answer me, o Lord my God; enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4and my enemy will say, “I have overcome her,” and my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. 5But I trust in your faithfulness; My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6I will sing to the Lord, Because he has looked after me.  We acknowledge Lord that often what we know in our head does not line up with what we experience in our heart. But as we are honest about how we are feeling, that gap is filled.

How are you feeling? Take a moment and, from your heart, tell our Heavenly father how you are feeling. Cry out your grief and lament. You may wish to place your hand on your chest, over your heart.

What are the thoughts or images you are wrestling with? Bring this struggle to the Lord.  We acknowledge that our hearts are prone to discouragement and despair. There are times when it appears that the enemy is winning.

As we process the news of the finding of these precious children, we cannot help but recognize the evil that exists. The real enemy is not people, but Satan and all his demons who are trying to keep us enslaved and oppressed. You see all this Lord.

Allow the Lord to free you from these feelings. The Good News is that Jesus has overcome the enemy, through His death and resurrection, and through faith, we have died and been raised with Christ.

 Like David in the psalm, when we seek you with all our heart, We find You; when we draw near to You, You draw near to us, When we ask, we receive.

As you bring your whole self to God, offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Lay all your burdens at His feet, Cast your cares on Him, for He loves you.  We trust in Your unfailing love, Our hearts rejoice in Your salvation and we will praise You for You are looking after us.

You are present in the midst of the uncovering of these precious children whom You love; children for whom You know the number of hairs on their heads; whose destiny is in Your hands. And though they died at the hands of humans, You have the final say. Their tragic death is not the end of their story for You have written their story. They are yours. 